Countdown
by The Rabid Fangirls
Summary: Tree of Tranquility fanfiction. A series of drabbles/one-shots that aren't really drabbles/one-shots because they all link together to form a story. Multiple pairings. Rated T for language and suggestive themes. By Melted Cheese of The Rabid Fangirls.
1. Of Tailors and Waitresses

Mai could never understand it. How could someone with such an eye for fashion and with such a cute personality like Kotomi be so shy? So what if her old friend used to tease her. Mai never let other people's words lower her own sense of self-worth. Sure, she had a pretty bad temper and got angry, but she still had a love for herself that wouldn't vanish just because of a few spoken statements.

Thinking about it though, why exactly was she so concerned about it? She had other things to worry about; like how to get Chihaya to notice her as more than just a glutton.

But then one day she was outside and greeted Kotomi as she passed by; the other girl nearly jumped out of her skin, stuttering out a greeting, and Mai found she couldn't stand it any longer.

With nothing but the words, "You have GOT to change. Starting now," Mai took hold of Kotomi's hand and literally dragged her all the way to Aran's tree. That was only the beginning. Mai convinced (or rather, forced) Kotomi into agreeing to meet there every day so she could help her raise her confidence.

Days, weeks, months, she didn't know how much time had passed, but Mai felt that Kotomi hadn't become the slightest more outgoing. Sighing, she turned to the violet-haired girl as she appeared for the continuation of the lesson, and dared her to do whatever she could think of first that would show that she had some pluck in her since obviously these lessons weren't working.

Kotomi bowed her head, shuffling her feet, and Mai was scared she was going to start crying. Just as she was about to about to start apologizing, Kotomi looked up and grabbed her hand. Mai blinked, surprised, and ashamed at how fast her heart was beating. Had she been that startled?

"M-mai, um, I… Th-thank-you for trying to help me. It, um, it means a lot to me…"

Oh. Was that it…? Mai wasn't sure exactly why, but she was disappointed a bit. Or maybe a little angry? She didn't understand it, but she supposed her body did because it started moving on its own.

She watched as her free arm reached out and pulled Kotomi forward until their faces were close enough to feel the other's breath and then closer still so that their lips met. The next moment she was pushed away with more force than she thought could ever come from such a petite person and Kotomi was already a small dot in the distance.

Mai sighed, running a hand through her hair. Would this new development help Kotomi or not? Well, either way, this was a lot more interesting than coercing Chihaya into giving her free eats.

She would have to start visiting the tailor a lot more.


	2. A Horrible Way to Pass Time

He'd only been out by the river for a total of five minutes and already he was frustrated. Normally he wouldn't be out here and fish would be at the ready to cook at the bar, but today was different. Despite all of his frantic searches however, no fish had been found. He should've just left it at that but no, today he had been meaning to try making a new dish and it didn't sit well with him to put it off any longer.

So now here he was, literally growling at his fishing line as if it were the cause for all his bad luck with catching anything. So far his best (and only) 'catches' ranged from twigs to lily pads. Never again, Chihaya muttered to himself, am I going to resort to this just to make a dish.

It was just when he had somehow managed to trip while casting out his line and stumble out into the river that Tao appeared over the hill. With an amused gaze, Tao chuckled, "You do realize that walking in the water will scare away the fish, don't you?" He asked as nothing more than a joke.

Chihaya sighed. He was too frustrated right now for good-natured joshing around and he showed that by gritting out, "Yes. Yes, I do realize that," with another sigh, "and I'm sorry, but fishing is a horrible, horrible way to pass time if it's this tiring."

"Not if you fish with the intent to simply pass time." Tao answered, smiling still. Chihaya remained silent at this, choosing to just try untying his now tangled line rather than listen to the words of some smiling lazy-bones he didn't even really know.

As he struggled, Tao sat down by the river bank after casting his own line glancing over at the working waiter every so often.

Finally, he couldn't help but ask. "Would you like some help?" Tao said, standing up and setting his pole down. Chihaya shook his head, "No, no I got it. It's fine."

"…" Tao watched silently as Chihaya only made the tangle worse and worse with each unsuccessful try he made, "Are you sure?" He asked quietly.

The waiter paused. "…Fine, you can fix it, but only because it's annoying having someone pester you with the same question so many times." Chihaya muttered, handing over the offensive fishing gear.

Tao said not a word, taking it from Chihaya's slender fingers and setting to work on it. Without even attempting to work the tangles loose, he simply cut the line—Chihaya gasped at that, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THAT'S NOT EVEN MINE!" he shouted—and began fixing it by tying a new one for it.

Quieting down after Chihaya realized that no, Tao was not attempting to destroy the fishing pole and his career at the bar with it; he watched the other male work. Even though it was something so simple, he felt a little amazed by it for some reason. It was as if he could see just how much Tao enjoyed the simple act of lazing about the day with a bobber floating a few feet away from him in any area of water, with the sky and sun watching over him.

"So, um…" Chihaya started, "Fishing. It's kind of interesting actually…"

Tao handed back the newly fixed equipment to Chihaya and smiled. "It is, isn't it? You should try it more often. I wouldn't mind the company."

Returning the smile, Chihaya nodded, "You know, I just might."


	3. It's Nothing Important, Really

Soft footsteps came from behind him and a line was cast right beside his. A knowing grin appeared on his face and he didn't even turn to the person next to him before speaking.

"I didn't think you would actually come by again."

A cough, followed by a nervous reply, "W-well, you know. Last time I never caught anything so this is, like, a revenge match."

"I see." Tao smiled, "My name is Tao, by the way."

"What?"

"Tao. We were never properly introduced last time, so…" He trailed off, waiting for the waiter to jump in and give his name.

"Oh! Right, right. Um, I'm Chihaya."

"It's nice to meet you."

Chihaya finally returned Tao's infectious smile, "Yeah. Likewise."

--

Time passed quickly for Tao, though he had yet to catch anything more than a few small minnows. He couldn't say the same for Chihaya who, despite this being a supposed revenge match, had caught nothing so far and looked about to snap his employer's fishing rod in half for "all its evil curses against him".

Tao watched it all with an amused grin.

Normally he would be put off by someone who seemed much more boisterous than his lackluster self, but somehow it was nice sometimes. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the growl of his stomach. It was quiet, and Chihaya didn't notice it over his spoken threats to the river, and fish swimming happily in it and the "uncooperative" fishing pole, but Tao was not one to put off the need for sustenance just to enjoy a little more time with a friend.

He packed his things away, which wasn't much, and stood up, turning to the curious gaze that was on him now, "I'm going to head back to town for lunch. I'll see you again, tomorrow, Chihaya."

"W-wait, what?" Chihaya stood up as well, "But—"

"Don't worry; we'll see each other again tomorrow. And you can keep my fish if you'd like since you haven't had any luck today."

And with that, Tao was off, walking down the well-worn, beaten path to town, most likely headed to the Brownie Ranch to pick up something to cook with.

Chihaya sighed deeply and loudly, looking down at the basket by his feet, "But I made lunch for us…"

--

That evening, Mai was about to leave the restaurant when Chihaya told her to wait just a moment. Standing there at the doorway, she watched him walk to the back of the Kirsch Inn and come back with a basket in hand.

Without an ounce of gentleness, he shoved the basket into her hands, saying it wasn't much and he was planning on throwing it out anyways. She gave him a suspicious look, afraid the unexpected gift was just a bunch of garbage he had thrown together for her since she hadn't been mooching off of him lately.

She said a word of thanks just to be polite, then left.

On the walk home she considered just throwing the whole bundle away when her worries came back again that whatever this basket held was dangerous. Curiosity got the better of her, however, and she decided to take just a peek before tossing it.

She lifted the lid slowly, inching her face closer to the opening to see. A small gasp exited her lips as she realized exactly what was in there. Some of Chihaya's best dishes, praised by everyone at the Kirsch Inn including her parents who owned the place. And he was giving them to her?

Without any badgering, bothering, pleading, and whatnot she always had to go through to get even a simple bite?

She grinned, closing the lid and, carrying the basket on her arm, continued her walk home with a bounce to her step.

Thoughts of tailor shops, plaid dresses, and of a shy tailor-ess all left her mind as she realized how Chihaya must really be starting to love her if he went to this much trouble to put together a meal for her.


	4. In Which There Is Stalking

Kotomi was never really one to bother another, but when Mai suddenly stopped showing up after a month of continuously visiting the tailor shop, she began to get concerned. Deciding just to pass by the Kirsch Inn to take a look, Kotomi pulled her hair into its usual style and set out the door.

Unfortunately, no sooner had she stepped outside was she stopped by Juli. He stood there, waiting for her to say hello and perhaps compliment him on his dazzling outfit.

"Um. I'm kind of in a hurry…" She mumbled, "Can we talk later, Juli-san?"

He threw his hands in the air in a frustrated manner, "Kotomi! We've talked about this before, just call me Juli! Why must you always add '-san'? It makes me feel like an old man, you know." He pouted at her, trying to get her to stay for a few more minutes out of sympathy.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go, Juli-san." She turned to leave, but Juli grabbed her arm stopping her from leaving. "Please let go of me…"

"But I have something to talk to you about. It's important…" Juli made sure his voice was just above a whisper. Just coming by here made him unbelievably embarrassed. After all, Kotomi was just always so cute and he never knew what to say to her. Though he often pretended he did.

Kotomi would've sighed and given in like usual had she not caught sight of her reason for leaving just then. Mai was a distance away, on the path to the river. Kotomi, ignoring Juli completely, pulled out of his grip and started running after her.

Juli took a few steps to follow her, but halted when he heard the door to the tailor shop open and a familiar voice screech, "What are you doing back here, you tranny! Are you making fun of my sister again?!"

"Stop calling me that!!" He shouted back, forgetting all about following after the girl he'd had a crush on for years. He would come back again tomorrow, but for now he had to defend his honor!

--

Mai was crouched behind some bushes a little bit away from the river's edge watching Chihaya, who was busy making a fool of himself by talking aloud to her father's fishing pole.

"I can't believe this," he was muttering, "Why do I keep coming back here?"

Mai snorted, whispering to herself, "That's what I'm wondering, too, you fool." She frowned, continuing to observe Chihaya. As far as she knew, he'd been coming here for the past two weeks, maybe even longer, and each time she had spied on him he'd been alone.

She didn't get it. Wouldn't he much rather spend some time at the Inn with her and everyone else? Or at least just with her?

Mai was just about to give up and chalk it up to Chihaya just wanting some time to himself to think, when she caught sight of another person approaching the river's edge. The stranger cast his own line and settled right beside Chihaya rather comfortably.

'Well isn't he being chummy right off the bat.' Mai thought, glaring at him. She'd seen him around town, but had never needed to know his name. Until now of course because for some reason as soon as he sat down the waiter she had spent most of her time trying to get to know better had suddenly perked up.

Now he was all smiles, talking about his day and about his horrible luck with fishing.

Mr. Unknown (which was what Mai was going to refer to him as from this point on until she found out his real name) just listened to it all with a smile and a few words here and there. After a few more moments it became silent. Mai inched a bit further forward to better see them.

Chihaya had an anxious look on his face as he looked down at the ground. Now Mai was worried. What was he doing? She watched as he suddenly looked a bit more determined, sucking in a breath, before slowly resting his head on Mr. Unknown's shoulder.

Her jaw dropped. Chihaya was muttering some excuse about being tired, but if his face was any indication he wasn't tired at all. Not with that wide-eyed, completely flustered and worried look he was sporting now as Mr. Unknown stayed silent.

Mai felt bad, but her mind was shouting for whoever that was to reject Chihaya. And reject him good.

Disappointment spread over her features though, as the other male continued to smile and simply said, "It's been a long day, hasn't it?" and let Chihaya continue to rest on his shoulder.

She shut her eyes, trying to block it all out, but she continued to see it, her imagination running wild now. In her mind's eye she could already imagine them kissing, going on dates, and, heaven forbid, getting married and doing _that_!

That image proved too much for her fragile girlish mind and she ended up fainting on the spot, collapsing on the ground with a small flop. Kotomi stood a short distance away, witnessing the entire thing. With one last glance, she walked away as quietly as possible, wiping at her face hastily as she went.


	5. Frustration Leads to Punching

BAM.

BAM. THUD.

Mai was worried. She'd been hearing these sorts of noises from the Kirsch Inn's kitchen ever since Chihaya had retired to it, saying something about cooking. Whatever the meal was going to be, it sounded violent.

With another worried glance at the kitchen doors, she turned and treaded up the stairs to the safety of her room.

Within the confines of a room filled with nothing but possible suicide weapons (the pans, knives, fuck even the spoons would do) Chihaya felt like he might go crazy. He connected his fist with the wooden counter top again, causing a satisfying croak of complaint from the inanimate object and another loud thud.

He just couldn't understand it.

How could someone be so clueless? Surely Chihaya had been dropping enough hints for Tao to at least catch onto one…

Or maybe he was ignoring them intentionally?

Chihaya frowned, sending another resounding smack throughout the small room with another hit to the counter top. "Well forget him then!" He shouted with resolve, "I mean, _fuck_, when someone goes through all this shit to get noticed wouldn't the person realize by now?!"

A knock on the door and a slight creak sounded as Cole walked quietly into the kitchen. Chihaya's face was flushed with shame at causing such a ruckus, but he attempted to play his way out of it all the same, "Wh-what? Can't you see I'm busy cooking here?"

Cole simply smiled, that smile that just overflows with sympathy, the one he didn't want to see, "Why don't you take the day off, Chihaya?" She asked. Her hand touched upon his shoulder in what was supposed to be a reassuring manner, but to Chihaya it felt more like a sucker punch known as pity. "I'll talk to Jake about it, you look like you could use a break."

Chihaya sighed. '_Might as well take the chance to get some thinking done, I guess_.' He thought to himself, nodding to Cole, "Yeah, thanks."

Deciding he didn't want to see any more pitying faces pointed in his direction, he quickly picked up what little he had brought (a small, beat up notebook of original recipes, a pen for writing down more, and several extra hair clips and bands) and left the Kirsch Inn in what could be described as a frantic hobble.

On the way home he passed by Tao, who nodded to him and said hello as he passed by.

Chihaya just grimaced in response and wondered if punching someone in the face for being slow would get him into a lot of trouble or not.


	6. Please Say No

He didn't know which was worse. Not knowing what to do or say in terms of confessing, or being beaten in the race to confess. He did know that it was a horrible feeling to have the bad timing of listening in on said confessing. It was an even worse feeling to be standing right next to the said confession happening and be completely unnoticed; looked through as if he were nothing but air.

"Um, I know this is probably quite sudden, but…" Leena blushed, looking down at her feet, shuffling them a bit as she continued, "W-would you, um, consider marrying… me?" The last word was uttered extremely softly and she bowed her head lower to hide her red face.

Say no. Say no say no say no. Chihaya tried as hard as he could to send this message through Tao's thick skull, but to no avail.

The two were still stuck in some world of their own, and no amount of glares, snarls, or other ugly faces Chihaya shot in their direction could break them from it.

"I'd be delighted to marry you, Leena." Tao replied, smiling as he reached out and took her hand in his.

Though no one touched him, Chihaya's own hand ached lightly and he felt a weight building up in his chest. He couldn't quite place the feeling but it was something like jealousy, but mixed with guilt. Half of him wanted to rush over and push Leena into the river and the other half wanted nothing more than for them to get married right on the spot.

He turned and walked away, the two of them never realizing he was there at all.

--

An hour later, when he was outside pacing at the river side lost in thought Leena was walking along the same path still completely oblivious to the outside world. She skipped forward, not looking where she was going, and crashed into Chihaya.

A gasp came from both of them as Leena lost her footing and rolled straight down into the river.

"Oh my god! Are you alright?!" Chihaya shouted out, wading down to her to give her a hand.

She laughed lightly, grinning as she sat up and replied, "I'm fine!" She took Chihaya's outstretched hand and stood up, still a little lightheaded from the fall, "Thank-you very much."

With a bit of hesitation, Chihaya returned the grin and replied, "No problem."

He felt somewhat better. Tao had found a great girl to be with and he was happy for him.

Of course, the little bit of indirect revenge helped, too.


End file.
